english rhetorical devices

parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.

anecdote

A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

perspective

point of view

irony

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

sarcasm

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt

satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

epithet

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

Juvenalism

bitter and irony critiscism of contemporary persons

contradiction

A direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency

juxtaposition

Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts

antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

rhetorical question

A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

diction

word choice

shifts

A change in time, place, setting, character's tone, punctuation, etc.

thesis

a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.

imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

ethos

credibility

pathos

appeal to emotion

logos

appeal to logic

exigence

an issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to write or speak

persona

The face or character that a speaker shows to his or her audience.

aphorism

A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

periodic sentence

sentence whose main clause is withheld until the end

analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

nostalgia

a longing for something past; homesickness

chiasmus

In poetry, a type of rhetorical balance in which the second part is syntactically balanced against the first, but with the parts reversed. Coleridge: "Flowers are lovely, love is flowerlike." In prose this is called antimetabole.

motif

A recurring theme, subject or idea

euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Asydeton

the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.

connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

expletive

an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity

parallelism

similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses

Ellipses

Indicated by a series of three periods; shows that words have been omitted

Apophasis

mention by denial